Last Light

I read the book shortly after it was published a number of years ago, and what an absolute thrill to read. The book was based around cities in the UK, London particularly and I was gripped.

The second book was OK, but I felt it was rushed to publication with no real thought behind it.

When I saw they had turned this in to a series, I thought GREAT!!

Well how very, very disappointing right from the get go!!

Bad acting, considering these are great actors, it was as if they regretted taking the role and couldn't wait to get off the set.

The adaptation from the book was odd as the book was based around a terrorist threat, which made it feel more real and believable. So, so disappointed, but I had to continue watching in case the story/acting got better, alas NO.

Save yourselves the pain and trauma. Go watch a cartoon.

Unfortunately this series is only moderately entertaining with few surprises. The ads on TV promised a lot more than what is delivered.

I found myself drifting off, as the story just doesn't take off.

A pretty good cast is underutilized, and unfortunately often resort to woefully melodramatic over-acting.

The UAE star as a thinly vailed fictional Arabic country and we were easily identifying landmarks, buildings and even street corners.

If you are after a great "power grid failure doomsday scenario " series, try to find the Austrian/German series "The Blackout. Tomorrow is too late". That one delivers.

I'm pretty sure that It is available in English as well...........

Petrochemical scientist Andy Yeats (Matthew Fox) is called in to work for an unusual emergency. Something is wrong with oil. In the Middle East, he is joined by mysterious British agent Mika Bakhash (Amber Rose Revah). His wife Elena (Joanne Froggatt) and their blind son Sam are stuck in France when chaos descends upon the world. His daughter Laura (Alyth Ross) is protesting oil companies back home in London when it happens.

This is a limited series with five episodes. I have some basic problems with the premise. First, bacteria eating up all the oil would release a boatload of CO2 or worst. I doubt anyone would want that. I would also doubt it eats up other hydrocarbons. They don't show any plastic start melting and they don't say anything about gas. France is using mostly nuclear for its electricity. They would still have renewables and natural gas. They should be able to maintain their grid with some minor brown outs. The basic science is questionable at best. Second, I hate that a premise that relies so heavily on science is reduced to a fist fight. They insist on doing a Bourne Identity movie for some reason. It would have been more interesting to have a Bourne Identity type movie without the science. Just have oil turn inert for unknown reasons. The most annoying may actually be how they pronounced Tobias. It's annoying. It could be worst. I get the premise. It just needs some work. It's also only five episodes long.

An incredibly contrived plot with Really Dumb Decisions being the main character, as it happens. And some of the plot holes are so large you can drive an oil tanker through them. Apart from Fox and Froggart, the acting is really poor. Like, school play poor. Actors standing around waiting for each other to deliver their lines, staring at each other's lips. It is that bad.

I was interested in the story and that is why I finished it. Now I am sorry I did that too. It made zero sense.

Did I mention plot holes? Things break leading to societal collapse, except when a character needs that thing. Then it works. Why? Because why not?

Actually, avoid. It it rubbish. Director should probably find another job.

When you find yourself skipping all scenes with the mother and child, you know something has gone wrong.

They are also padding out a thin story using slow pacing, music and extended, boring, conversations.

It is not very good. The actors are, bar a couple, meh, unable to deliver lines convincingly. The 'authority' spook lacks any kind of presence for the role. The responses to external events are contrived, with stupid decisions driving the plot, rather than any kind of smart writing.

They finally spell out the core of the plot in episode 4, and it is as thin and dumb as it appeared to be when revealed in a single quick image in the first episode.